This invention relates generally to alignment systems, and, more particularly to a laser beam alignment system which utilizes temporal measurements in order to determine beam alignment.
In today's every increasing utilization of the laser or other collimated beams of electromagnetic radiation, precise alignment of the laser beam relative to other optical elements and fixed reference members becomes essential. Additionally, it is often necessary to continuously monitor and dynamically align such beams. For example, in laser beam pointing systems, it is also required to dynamically maintain the alignment of a collimated beam of light. Furthermore, beam alignment is critical in propagation type experiments wherein the beam of the propagating laser must be controlled spatially to a position and angle established by the beam of an alignment laser.
Heretofore, alignment systems based upon the alignment of a beam with respect to an alignment beam have relied upon positioning a detector at a point in the beam of the alignment laser and steering the beam of the other laser to that point. The presence of one beam, effectively, blanks out the other so the aiming point must not move or the original alignment is lost. If a 4-quadrant detector is used to sense the laser beam(s), it must be both precisely located and very small for good spatial resolution. Additionally, with such systems continuous reference to the alignment beam cannot be maintained. Consequently, there presently exists a need for a beam alignment system which is precise in its alignment capacity as well as capable of continuously monitoring the alignment beam so as to maintain long-time alignment stability.